Franklin County manufacturing, logistics lead economic recovery

CHAMBERSBURG &GT;&GT; Franklin County's manufacturing and logistics employers have led the recovery in the five years since the end of the Great Recession.

The state's Center for Workforce Information and Analysis released June employment numbers, marking five years since the recession ended.

Franklin County's total job count is up only about 800 jobs over that time as some sectors grew and others continued to cut payrolls.

The manufacturing sector —one of the hardest hit in Franklin County — also saw one of the largest recoveries, adding about 1,200 jobs since June 2009, according to the Center for Workforce Information and Analysis.

L. Michael Ross, president of the Franklin County Area Development Corp., said of the area's three big manufacturers, two in particular have experienced significant sales increases, which has also impacted their supply chains.

Franklin County's trade, transportation and utilities sector has also grown by about 1,200 jobs.

"I think being where we are, being supported by one of the most heavily traveled interstates in the country and having two intermodal facilities, creates significant opportunity. If you drive by any of the distribution centers, virtually all have now hiring or help wanted signs out now," Ross said. "We are fortunate to be where we are right now. I think that we've seen a lot of good things happen and we're poised to see more things happen."

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Ross said it's worth noting that the latest numbers do not reflect the new Procter & Gamble facility, expected to come online in September and eventually employ nearly 1,000.

Recovery has not touched every sector.

The mining, logging and construction sector — another one of the hardest hit industries— is still feeling the effects of the economic downturn. This sector is down about 600 jobs from the end of the recession, according to the Center for Workforce Information and Analysis.

Public sector employment is also down about 700 jobs from June 2009.

Franklin County's unemployment rate in June was a seasonally adjusted 4.6 percent —the lowest point since August 2008.

"These numbers confirm what we intuitively had believed based on our conversations with employers and some of the activity that we're seeing that we are fully recovered at this point from the recession from an employment standpoint," Ross said. "As we look to the future, there are a number of projects that are still being developed. We have a number of other projects that are actively and seriously considering Franklin County for location or expansion, which leads us to a point where labor availability is going to be a challenge for us."

Franklin Financial Services Corp. President and CEO William E. Snell Jr. said in the company's quarterly earnings report Tuesday that the local economy continues to show glimpses of improvement. He said "while by no means robust, consumer and small business borrowing are beginning to stir as unemployment and consumer confidence improve."

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